Many mele ahead: Hapa, Pahinui, Kekauoha coming to Bay Area

The month of May brings the engaging Mele Mei (“May Songs”) celebration to O‘ahu, climaxing with the Hawaiian music industry awards ceremony and related Nā Hōkū (“The Stars”) Music Festival — but the last week of April is also looking pretty stellar for Hawaiian music fans in the Bay Area, so plan ahead to not miss out on your favorites.

Hapa, a/k/a founder Barry Flanagan and current duo member Ron Kuala‘au, start the music flurry off Thursday, April 25, at intimate Club Fox in Redwood City; tickets are $20 advance, $25 at the door. The pair also perform Friday, April 26, at 142 Throckmorton Theatre in Mill Valley; advance tickets are $30 general admission and $40 reserved seating, with $33 general seating tickets at the door. (There’s also a gig April 28 at the Assembly in Sacramento; click here for more information.)

Also performing on Friday, April 26, are the impressive double bill of Pahinui Hawaiian Band (including slack key legend Cyril Pahinui and the talented Jeff Au Hoy and Peter Moon Jr., and nominated for Nā Hōkū awards for Hawaiian music album, single and group of the year) and Weldon Kekauoha(nominee for entertainer, male vocalist and Hawaiian music album and album of the year; see video below. ) They’ll be at Live at the Cue in Concord, where tickets are $35 for the 7 p.m. show (doors open at 6); $10 dinner plate sold separately.

Kekauoha then tacks on a doubleheader on Sunday, April 28, starting with a 1 p.m. show at the House of Hawaiian Music in San Lorenzo; tickets are $20 general admission, with very limited seating (so buy early.) Doors open early for the 7 p.m. show by Kekauoha at Pa‘ina Lounge in San Francisco; tickets are $15. Call (510) 423-3051 for more information on any of the Pahinui and Kekauoha concerts.

The Bay Area’s own Pūlama also April 26, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 26 at King Tsin restaurant in Berkeley. But there’s plenty of local Hawaiiana to go around this weekend, too, starting with the Victor ‘Ohana Hawaiian Band‘s last gig till autumn at Santa Cruz’s Pono Hawaiian Grill — starting Memorial Day weekend, they’ll perform every Friday afternoon at the Seascape Resort in Aptos. Here’s how Hawaiian music supporter Norman Markowitz describes the family act:

Grandpa Allen, a retired pastor from the Big Island, plays ‘ukulele in the band and sometimes “goes off” on a solo which leaves listeners gasping for air. Son, husband and father Michael plays rhythm and slack key guitar and is the lead vocalist. Daughter Leilani shares her stunning voice as she plays keyboards, drums, or some other percussive instrument. And son MC keeps everybody together with great bass lines and vocals. Whew, they do it all! As Grandpa Allen says, “playing music and performing together is a great way to keep the “‘ohana” (family) connected!”

There’s no cover charge and no suggested donation — a true Aloha Friday. Tomorrow (Saturday, April 20) the Wesley Ukulele Band performs from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the JCCNC stage (1840 Sutter St.) at the San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival.Kāwika Alfiche , recently returned from the Merrie Monarch Festival (where he helped honor his late kumu Rae Fonseca) and his Hālau O Keikiali‘i also present Hawaiian music and hula from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Surf Spot in Pacifica. There’s also no cover charge (a true Aloha Saturday!); click here for details.